5 Things You Need To Know Before Going Platinum (2024)

So, you wanna go platinum, like Kylie Jenner and tons more of your fave celebs? Regardless of your natural hair color is, it is possible to get the trendy white-blonde shade, but there are some seriously important things you need to know before reaching for that box of dye. Rick Wellman, Hue Director at NYC Salon John Sahag, shares his top tips for making the dye dive.

1. Head to the salon. There are tons of beauty treatments that you can DIY at home, but going platinum is one of those dye jobs best left to a professional. Unless your hair is already blonde, you could do some serious damage. The opportunity for error when dealing with bleach is high, which can mean hiding under a hat for months. This is one of those beauty changes worth saving up for and going to see a pro.

2. There's going to be damage. "Anytime you lift or lighten hair, especially to platinum, there is risk of damage and dryness," says Rick. Even if your colorist uses the safest hair dye (he likes Schwarzkopf Professional Blond Me), there will be some damage to your strands. How much damage depends on its current condition and how well you take care of your hair post-dye job. Hydrating and repairing masks, oil treatments, and deep conditioners will be your new BFFs, but you might also have to chop your hair. Intense coloring can leave your ends seriously fried. Luckily, trendy lobs look amazing on everyone.

3. It probably won't happen in one sitting. You'll pretty much have to carve out half a day to get your hair colored, thanks to the multiple steps required to get such a light shade, especially if you're starting with darker hair. Your colorist will most likely have to do color and toner, and color and toner, over and over — and you might still not get the ice-blonde hue you want in one sitting. That's especially true if you have color on your hair already, or super dark strands. "The chance of going platinum in one sitting is greater on fine hair and lighter levels of natural color," says Rick. Unfortunately, there's no magic hair dye that will take super dark strands to white blonde in one day. For brunettes, it can take a few trips to get the perf platinum shade, and in between, you might have to rock a brassy orange shade for a few weeks while your hair recovers. Which may sound bad, but not when you consider that too many dye jobs back to back can make your hair fall out!

4. Your hair texture will change. Bleaching your hair can completely change it, depending on your original texture and how often you wash it. Sometimes curly hair becomes straighter, because your strands lose elasticity and dry out. On the flip side, straight hair can get more voluminous because your hair cuticles are roughed up by the dye. These changes might throw you for a loop if you're used to styling your hair a certain way, and they may not happen overnight. Your new platinum 'do will continue to change as you wash it more, so don't be surprised if your natural curls suddenly go MIA one day.

5. It's super high-maintenance. If you're a wash and go kind of girl who takes five minutes to get ready, bleached hair might not be for you. Expect to add 30 minutes to your morning routine, thanks to all the conditioning and taming your new mane will require. Your hair is going to need all new products, too, like special purple shampoo to combat brassiness (hair can take on an orange-y brown shade as the blonde fades). Plus, even if you're rocking cool-girl roots, you will most likely have to hit the salon every 4-6 weeks for touch-ups, which can be expensive and time-consuming.

But remember that in the end, it's just hair. Sure, going platinum is a commitment, but hair grows back! It can be dyed and cut and worn in ponytails for a few weeks until you're loving it again. So have fun with your hair until you're ready for the next big change.

Carolyn Twersky is the Editorial Fellow at Seventeen.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram!